Olympic Gold Medalist Takes Embarrassing New Gig

Olympic bad boy Ryan Lochte is diving back into the pool — but this time, he’ll be standing on the deck with a whistle instead of racing for gold.

The six-time Olympic gold medalist is officially joining the coaching staff at Missouri State University, where he’ll work as an assistant coach for the school’s swim program starting later this summer.

And while Lochte’s trophy case is packed with Olympic medals, his new paycheck is turning heads for a very different reason.

According to documents obtained by Front Office Sports, the swimming superstar will make about $30,000 a year — which works out to roughly $34 an hour. The deal also includes performance bonuses, including $750 if the men’s or women’s team wins a Missouri Valley Conference championship. He can also pocket extra cash for NCAA qualifiers and relay teams that make championship events.

The university’s head coach, Dave Collins, called the hire “very exciting,” while Lochte insisted he’s taking the role seriously.

“It’s about more than times and results,” Lochte said. “It’s about helping young men and women build discipline, resilience and confidence that will carry them far beyond the pool.”

The 12-time Olympic medalist became one of the biggest names in American swimming during his legendary run with University of Florida from 2003 to 2007 before dominating international competition for years.

But Lochte’s career has also been overshadowed by headline-grabbing scandals that nearly sank his reputation.

Fans still remember the chaos during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro when Lochte falsely claimed he and fellow U.S. swimmers were robbed at gunpoint. Authorities later revealed the group had actually vandalized a gas station bathroom during a drunken night out.

The fallout was brutal. USA Swimming suspended Lochte for 10 months after the embarrassing international incident.

Then, just two years later, he was hit with another suspension after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency determined he received an IV vitamin infusion that violated regulations. That punishment sidelined him for 14 months.

Off the pool deck, Lochte has also found himself caught in messy social media drama involving his ex-wife, Kayla Rae Reid, and current girlfriend, Molly Gillihan.

Now, after years of controversy, the Olympic legend is getting a fresh start in college athletics — even if the paycheck is a far cry from the millions elite athletes are used to making.